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by Anna MALPAS Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Fierce fighting was raging Monday for control of the center of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the bloodiest battle of Moscow’s invasion, as Russia agreed to a short extension of a crucial UN-backed grain export deal. Ukraine said that Russia’s Wagner mercenary group — which has claimed to be leading Moscow’s charge for Bakhmut — was pushing forward in the industrial city that has been the epicenter […]
by Jim Watson with Sebastian Smith in Washington Agence France-Presse SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) — Australia announced Monday it will buy as many as five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China. The announcement came at an event at a San Diego, California, naval base where President Joe Biden […]
by Daniel STUBLEN Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — China will once again start issuing a range of visas to foreigners as of Wednesday, the country’s embassy in Washington said, a major easing of travel restrictions in force since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The move marks the latest step towards reopening China to the outside world, as Beijing gradually breaks with the strict zero-Covid strategy that defined its pandemic response until a […]
STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she wants to avoid economic dependence on Beijing, but not fully “decouple” the EU’s economy from China. Explaining the stance she took last week when she visited US President Joe Biden, Brussels’ top official said the European Union was merely seeking a level playing field. The pair’s joint statement was a small step in resolving differences over trans-Atlantic trade, […]
by Jack McBRAMS Cyclone Freddy, packing powerful winds and torrential rain, killed at least 70 people in Malawi and Mozambique on its return to southern Africa’s mainland, authorities said Monday. More than 60 bodies were found during the day in southern Malawi where heavy downpours triggered flooding, according to the Red Cross. “Sixty-six people have died in Malawi, 93 injured and 16 people are missing due to Tropical Cyclone Freddy,” tweeted the humanitarian organisation, which […]
Iran said Monday it would welcome restoring ties with Bahrain to end seven years of ruptured relations, following a recent China-brokered deal to heal rifts between Tehran and Riyadh. “The resumption of political relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia shows the effectiveness and success of the diplomatic solution to resolve misunderstandings,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani. Tehran, pleased by the rapprochement with the Saudis, believes “relations between Iran and Bahrain are no […]
by Helen ROWE UK hospital doctors on Monday began a three-day strike over pay at the start of a week that will also see teachers, train staff and civil servants walk out, in the latest wave of industrial action. The doctors say years of below-inflation pay increases mean they have effectively had a 26 percent pay cut since 2008. Ahead of the stoppage, the body that represents them, British Medical Association (BMA), launched an advertising […]
by Anna MALPAS Fierce fighting is raging for control of the centre of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the longest-running and bloodiest battle of Moscow’s invasion, Russian and Ukrainian forces said Monday. Ukraine said that Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which has claimed to be leading Moscow’s charge for the industrial city, was pushing forward in the city that has been the epicentre of fighting for months. “Wagner assault units are advancing from several directions, trying […]
by Sunghee Hwang Agence France-Press SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea said Monday it had test-fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine, as South Korea and the United States kicked off their largest joint military exercises in five years. Nuclear-armed Pyongyang said the test verified its “nuclear war deterrence means in different spaces” as it slammed the drills — known as Freedom Shield — which will run for 10 days from Monday as […]
by Mathias CENA Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s government eased its mask guidelines on Monday, recommending them only on crowded trains and in hospitals or care homes, but there was little sign residents were keen to unmask. Japan has never had a mask mandate, but residents have adhered to guidelines to wear them indoors and outside from the early days of the pandemic, and masks were common even pre-Covid during cold and hayfever […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s Xi Jinping on Monday emphasized the need to strengthen national security, in his first address since being handed a historic third term as the country’s president. Xi became China’s most powerful leader in generations last week when he was reanointed for another five years at the helm of the world’s most populous nation, in a break with long-standing political precedent. The National People’s Congress (NPC) — a carefully choreographed conclave […]
by Glenn CHAPMAN Another powerful storm pummeled California overnight into Saturday, forcing thousands to evacuate and resulting in at least two deaths, while causing a levee to give way in coastal Monterey County. “We were hoping to avoid and prevent this situation, but the worst case scenario has arrived with the Pajaro River overtopping and levee breaching at about midnight,” Luis Alejo, a Monterey County supervisor, said Saturday on Twitter. Residents told AFP they […]
